Who Wrote Lamentations? What We Can Learn from the "Weeping Prophet"
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The Bible isn’t one book but a library of writings from numerous authors. Biblical books have a wide range of genres, from history to poetry, prophecy, and more. The genres reflect the writing styles of their day; at the same time, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes each book unique expressions, full of meaning.
The book of Lamentations proves to be such a book. Written more than 1,500 years ago, Lamentations stirs our hearts and teaches us important lessons today. However, the text doesn’t name an author, so people often ask the question, “Who wrote Lamentations?”
Who is the Author of Lamentations?
Most prophetic books name the authors, which reflected a belief in the Old Testament Law. A true prophet’s words would come to pass, so he would be held accountable in the Word of God by putting his name on the writing. However, the author doesn’t name himself in Lamentations.
Hebrew tradition clearly attributes Lamentations to the prophet Jeremiah. Later collections like the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate place an introductory line stating how Jeremiah wrote it. Early Jewish and Christian sources named Jeremiah the writer. Evidence supports it. The tone, style, and topic align with Jeremiah’s main prophetic work. Additionally, as other writings attest, Jeremiah was there at the Babylonian exile and destruction of Jerusalem. He had been a primary prophet leading up to this event, warning kings and the people time and again. For him, seeing the consequences he warned about would have been especially agonizing. Jeremiah earned the name, “the weeping prophet.”
Further, the book of Jeremiah also contains laments (Jeremiah 9:1, 13:17, and 14:17), fitting the theme and genre of Lamentations. He stayed in Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed the city (Jeremiah 40), so he would have had firsthand accounts of the aftermath.
Despite the overwhelming evidence and Jewish tradition, some modern scholars question Jeremiah as the author. They point to different styles between Jeremiah and Lamentations, namely vocabulary and a more structured acrostic form. Jeremiah’s prophecies are longer and prosaic in contrast. These scholars, however few, argue maybe a different eyewitness or a disciple of Jeremiah wrote the poems. Others theorize multiple authors could have contributed since the five poems have slightly different tines.
But such overall unity of theme and ministry suggest one writer, likely Jeremiah.
What Is the Book of Lamentations About?
Lamentations is an interesting mix of prophecy and poetry, an “elegiac poetry” or a dirge. This mournful form of writing expresses deep grief over the death of a person or place. The Hebrew Bible gives it the title “Eikhah,” which means, “How …?” The book begins with, “How lonely sits the city …” and Jewish tradition just called it by the opening word. “How” also begins second and fourth chapters, a mournful cry from the writer as he watches the destruction of the holy city, Jerusalem. The emotional theme throughout the book becomes a mournful “How could this happen?”
When Jews translated the book into Greek (the Septuagint), they titled the book, “Threnoi,” meaning “dirges” or “laments.” Hundreds of years later, the Catholic Latin Vulgate became Lamentationes in Latin. English Bible translators took the Latin title and made it Lamentations. The name reveals the book’s purpose, to grieve the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, mourn the immense suffering of the people, and to cry out to God for help during such judgment. Through the years, Jewish and Christian traditions continue to use the title because of the great sorrow expressed in the work.
Lamentations is written from the perspective of a witness, someone watching and mourning the judgment coming on Jerusalem. There are five separate poems that follow an acrostic pattern using the Hebrew alphabet, much like Psalm 119. Centuries later, those dividing the biblical canon into chapters and verses wisely made these five poems five chapters. The very structured acrostic form gives an ironic form to the expressions of chaos and despair.
The central messages of Lamentations include how sin brings consequences, how God remains faithful even during judgment, and even offers hope if people will repent. The book describes disturbing images of death and starvation. The people tragically realize the suffering comes from continually breaking their covenant with God. The awful situation of Lamentations doesn’t happen randomly but as a judgment from God, fulfilling prophetic warnings.
Even in the middle of the grief, the book declares hope in God. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22–23). This famous passage echoes hope and God’s love even in such a dark hour.
What Is the Context of Lamentations?
Leading up to the fall of Jerusalem, the kingdom of Judah had a series of bad and good kings, times of obedience and growing rebellion against God. The Lord warned against such sin for generations. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel cried out against the idolatry, injustice, and more, calling the people to repent. They turned back to God a couple times, but as time went on, the kings and people became more rebellious and corrupt. King Josiah had a brief time of reform in 7th century BC, but those after him went back to idolatry and injustice. They allied with different nations like Egypt instead of trusting God. Then Babylon rose to power.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Judah several times, first in 605 (when Daniel was taken) and then again in 597. God spoke through Jeremiah how Judah must submit to Babylon as a punishment for their idolatry, but Judah and the kings still rebelled against Babylon. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar had enough. He laid siege to Jerusalem over months, creating famine and starvation. Babylon ultimately destroyed the city walls and the Temple. They killed or exiled most Jews.
Here, Lamentations is written in great grief. Jerusalem wasn’t only a national capital but the religious center of all Israel, the City of David and the place of the Temple, where God lived on earth. In one event, Jerusalem’s destruction, the Jews lost the Davidic line and lost the Temple. The people chosen by God had been rejected from their promised land, a central identity. It all went to ruin.
And yet, it wasn’t the end of the story. The Jewish people lived in Babylonian exile for 70 years. Then Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and let the Jews return to Jerusalem. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail the rebuilding of the Temple, restoring a Jewish community in Jerusalem. Lamentations brings hope in the midst of despair, and we see the fulfillment of those promises.
What Can We Learn from Lamentations?
Although it might be difficult to tell in certain Christian circles, grief is a godly thing. Jesus wept (John 11:35), even though he knew there would be an amazing end to the story. Jeremiah had hope in God’s future restoration, but the momentary pain remained and needed to be validated. Sorrow and lament don’t show weak faith but honest and important responses to real pain in this broken world. Instead of rejecting God in his grief, he brings it to the Lord, crying out to him in his pain. For us, faith should include seasons of mourning, repentance, and crying out to God when we’re in pain, not allowing difficult times to lose faith. Like Jeremiah and Jesus, we can grieve in hope, affirming the suffering in the moment but holding true to the reality of God’s future good and restoration.
Second, Lamentations shows us that God fulfills his word, including warnings of judgment for sin. A loving God won’t allow sin to continue forever, since sin destroys and kills. For generations, God sent prophets like Micah and Jeremiah to call the Jews to repent, but they wouldn’t listen. They trusted in their religious ritual and symbols. But they forgot to live like God’s people in justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Lamentations shows how God brought what he warned about. When we minimize or compromise in sin, Lamentations reveals how we should repent and take our walk with the Father seriously.
Third, even God weeps. As inspired text, God led the prophet to weep in the Spirit. Even though the people and the city deserved the judgment, God grieved over the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah didn’t run; he stayed and endured the pain with the people, even though he was innocent. He cried out for God’s mercy from among the people. Jesus became Immanuel, God with us, to relate to and love a sinful people. Christ also wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44) because of its coming destruction. For believers today, we choose to enter the pain of others and speak life or pray for good. The Spirit groans with us when we encounter the suffering of this world (Romans 8:26). We mourn with those who mourn. We don’t celebrate judgment but enter God’s sorrow and long for compassion and redemption.
Finally, Lamentations shows us how God does provide hope and restoration. Even after the Temple is destroyed and the people seem to be abandoned, the prophet declares God’s great love, how the Lord won’t let them be completely consumed but will send them new mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23). Just as God fulfilled his warnings, he will fulfill his promise for restoration. God’s mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).
For the Jews in the Babylonian exile, they found restoration in returning to Jerusalem and rebuilding the city walls and the Temple. For us today, we have this hope in an eternal king, Jesus, one who can’t be removed and reigns in peace and justice. We have a city, the forever New Jerusalem, where we will live with the Father eternally. We have the divine presence how and promise for the future. In the meantime, we may weep and lament over brokenness, and we should, but never forgetting how God will bring all things to good for those who cling to him (Romans 8:28).
Peace.
Photo credit: ©SWN/Sarah Martin
